Urban V

Guillaume de
Grimoard, born atGrisacin Languedoc, 1310;
died atAvignon, 19 December, 1370.
Born of aknightlyfamily, he waseducatedatMontpellierandToulouse, and became aBenedictinemonkat the littleprioryofChiracnear his home. ABullof 1363 informs us that
he wasprofessedat the greatAbbeyofSt. Victorat Marseilles, where heimbibedhis characteristiclovefor theOrderofSt. Benedict; even aspopehe wore itshabit. He wasordainedatChirac, and after a
further course oftheologyandcanon lawat theuniversitiesofToulouse, Montpellier,Paris, andAvignon, he received thedoctoratein 1342. He was one of
the greatestcanonistsof his day; was
professor ofcanon lawatMontpellier, and also taught atToulouse,Paris, andAvignon; heacted successively asvicar-generalof theDiocesesofClermontand Uzès, was at an
unknowndate(before 1342)
affiliated toCluny, becamepriorofNotre-Damedu Pré (apriorydependent onSt. Germaind'Auxerre), and in 1352
was namedabbotof that famous house byClement VI. With thisdatebegins his diplomatic
career. His first mission was to Giovanni Visconti,Archbishopand despot ofMilan, and this he carried
out successfully; in 1354 and 1360 he was employed on the affairs of theHoly SeeinItaly; in 1361 he was
appointed byInnocent VIto theAbbacyofSt. VictoratMarseilles, but in 1362 was once
more dispatched toItaly, this time on an
embassy to Joanna ofNaples. It was while engaged
on this business that theabbotheard of hiselectionto thepapacy. Innocent VIhad died on 12Sept. The choice of one
who was not acardinalwas due tojealousieswithin the Sacred College, which made theelectionof any one of its
members almost impossible.Guillaumede Grimoard was chosen
for hisvirtueand learning, and for
his skill in practical affairs of government and diplomacy. He arrived atMarseilleson 28 Oct., enteredAvignonthree days later, and
wasconsecratedon 6 November, taking
the name ofUrbanbecause, as he said,
"all thepopeswho had borne the name
had beensaints". The general
satisfaction which thiselectionaroused was voiced byPetrarch, who wrote to thepope, "It isGodalone who has chosen
you".

On 20 November
KingJohnofFrancevisitedAvignon; his main purpose was
to obtain the hand of Joanna of Naples, ward of theHoly See, for his sonPhilip, Duke of
Touraine. In a letter of 7 NovemberUrbanhad already approved
her project ofmarriagewith KingJamesofMajorca, a king without
akingdom; by so doing
thepopesafeguarded his own
independence atAvignon, which would have been
gravely imperilled had themarriageof Joanna, who was also
Countess of Provence, united to theCrownofFrancethe country surrounding
the little papalprincipality. The
letter written byUrbanto Joanna on 29 Nov.,
urging themarriagewithPhilip, was probably
meant rather to appease theFrenchking than to persuade
the recipient. Thebetrothalof the Queen of NaplestoJamesofMajorcawas signed on 14 Dec.
The enormous ransom of 3,000,000 gold crowns, due to Edward III of EnglandfromJohnofFranceby the treaty of
Bretigny, was still in great part unpaid, andJohnnow sought permission
to levy atitheon therevenuesof theFrenchclergy.Urbanrefused this request as
well as another for thenominationof fourcardinalschosen by the king.Johnalso desired to
intervene between thepope andBarnabòVisconti, tyrant ofMilan. He was again refused,
and whenBarnabòfailed to appear within
the three months allowed by hiscitation, thepopeexcommunicatedhim (3 March, 1363). In
April of the same year Visconti was defeated beforeBologna. Peace was
concluded in March, 1364;Barnabòrestored the castles
seized by him, whileUrbanwithdrew theexcommunicationand undertook to pay
half a million gold florins.

TheBenedictinepopewas a lover of peace,
and much of his diplomacy was directed to the pacification ofItaly andFrance. Both countries were
overrun by mercenary bands known as the "Free Companies", and thepope made many efforts to
secure their dispersal or departure. Hisexcommunicationwas disregarded and the
companies refused to join the distant King ofHungaryin his battles with theTurksalthough the Emperor
Charles IV, who came toAvignonin May, 1365,
guaranteed the expenses of their journey and offered them therevenuesof hiskingdomofBohemiafor three years.Warnow broke out between
Pedro theCruelofNavarreand his brotherHenryofTrastamare. Pedro wasexcommunicatedfor his cruelties andpersecutionsof theclergy, andBertrandDuguesclin, the victor
of Cocherel, led the companies intoNavarre; yet they visitedAvignonon their way and wrung
blackmail from thepope. TheSpanishwarwas quickly ended, andUrbanreturned to his former
plan of employing the companies against theTurk. The Count ofSavoywas to have led them to
the assistance of the King ofCyprusand theEasternEmpire, but this scheme
too was a failure.Urban'sefforts were equally
fruitless inItaly, where the whole land
was overrun with bands led by such famouscondottierias theGermanCount ofLandauand theEnglishmanSir JohnHawkwood. In 1365,
after the failure of a scheme to uniteFlorence,Pisa, and theItaliancommunes against them,
thepopecommissionedAlbornozto persuade these
companies to join the King ofHungary. In 1366 hesolemnlyexcommunicatedthem, forbade their
employment, and called on the emperor and all the powers ofChristendomto unite for their
extirpation. All was in vain, for though a league ofItaliancities was formed in September
of that year, it was dissolved about fifteen months later owing toFlorentinejealousyof the emperor.

Rome had
suffered terribly through the absence of herpontiffs, and it became
apparent toUrbanthat if he remained atAvignonthe work of the warlikeCardinal Albornozin restoring to thepapacytheStates of the Churchwould be undone. On 14
September, 1366, he informed the emperor of his determination to return to Rome. Allmenrejoiced at the
announcement except theFrench; the king
understood that the departure fromAvignonwould mean a diminution
ofFrenchinfluence at theCuria. TheFrenchcardinalswere indespairat the prospect of
leavingFrance, and even threatened
todesertthepope. On 30 April, 1367,UrbanleftAvignon; on 19 May he sailed
fromMarseilles, and after a long
coasting voyage he reachedCorneto, where he was
met byAlbornoz. On 4 June theRomansbrought thekeysof Sant' Angelo in sign
of welcome, and theGesuaticarrying their branches
in their hands and headed by their founder,Blessed John Colombini, preceded thepope. Five days later he
enteredViterbo, where he dwelt in the
citadel. The disturbed state ofItalymade it impossible forUrbanto set out toRomeuntil he had gathered a
considerable army, so it was not till 16 Oct. that he entered the city at the
head of an imposingcavalcade, under the
escort of the Count ofSavoy, the Marquess ofFerrara, and other princes.

The return of
thepopetoRomeappeared to the
contemporary world both as a great event and as areligiousaction. Thepopenow set to work to
improve the material andmoralconditionof his capital. Thebasilicasand papalpalaces were restored
and decorated, and thePapaltreasure, which had
been preserved atAssisisince the days ofBoniface VIII, was distributed to
the citychurches. The
unemployed were put to work in the neglected gardens of theVatican, and corn was
distributed in seasons of scarcity; at the same time thedisciplineof the clergywas restored, and the
frequentation of thesacramentsencouraged. One ofUrban'sfirstactswas to change theRomanconstitution, but it
may be questioned whether "thesacrificeofferedto thePontiffas the reward of his
return was the liberty of thepeople"
(Gregorovius).

On 17 October,
1368, the emperor joined thepopeatViterbo. Before leavingGermanyhe hadconfirmedall the rightsof theChurch, andUrbanhopedfor his help against
the Visconti, butCharlesallowed himself to bebribed. On 21 Oct. thepopeand emperor enteredRometogether, the latterhumblyleading thepontiff'smule. On 1 Nov.Charlesactedasdeaconat theMassat whichUrbancrownedthe empress. For more
than a centurypopeand emperor had not
appeared thus in amity. A year later theEmperorof the East,JohnV Palaeologus, came to Romeseeking assistance
against theinfidel; heabjuredtheschismand was received byUrbanon the steps ofSt. Peter's. These emperors both
ofWestandEastwere but shadows of
their great predecessors, and their visits, triumphs as they might appear, were
but little gain toUrbanV. He felt that his
position inItalywas insecure. The death
ofAlbornoz(24 Aug., 1367), who
had made his return toItalypossible, had been a great
loss. The restlessness of the towns was exemplified by the revolt ofPerugia, which had to be
crushed by force; any chance storm might undo the work of the greatlegate. At heart, too, thepopehad all aFrenchman'slovefor his country, and
hisFrenchentourage urged his
return toAvignon. In vain were the
remonstrances of the envoys ofRome, which had gained
"greater quiet and order, an influx ofwealth, a revival of
importance" from his sojourn; in vain were theadmonitionsofSt. Bridget, who came
fromRometoMontefiasconeto warn him that if he
returned to Avignonhe would shortly die.Warhad broken out again
betweenFranceandEngland, and the desire to
bring about peace strengthened thepope'sdetermination. On 5
Sept., 1370, "sad, suffering and deeply moved",Urbanembarked atCorneto. In aBullof 26 June he had told
theRomansthat his departure was
motived by his desire to be useful to theUniversalChurchand to the country to
which he was going. It may be, too, that thepopesaw that the nextconclavewould be free atAvignonbut not inItaly.Charles Vjoyfullysent a fleet of richly
adorned galleys toCorneto; thepopedid not long survive
his return (24Sept.) toAvignon. His body wasburiedinNotre-Damedes Doms atAvignonbut was removed two
years later, in accordance with his own wish, to theAbbeyChurchof St. Victor atMarseilles.Miraclesmultiplied around histomb. Hiscanonizationwas demanded by King
Waldemar ofDenmarkand promised byGregory XIas early as 1375, but
did not take place owing to the disorders of the time. His cultus was approved
byPius IXin 1870.

Urban V was a
man whose motives cannot be called in question: his policy aimed at Eurpoean
peace; shortly before his death he had givenordersthat preparations
should be made to enable him personally to visit and reconcileEdward IIIandCharles V. He had shown greatzealfor theCrusade. On 29 March, 1363,
Pierre deLusignan, King ofCyprusand titular King ofJerusalem, appeared atAvignontoappealfor assistance against
theTurks, and on 31 March (Good Friday)Urbanpreached theCrusadeand gave thecrossto theKingsofFrance, Denmark, andCyprus; thechivalrousKingJohn, who was to have
been chief commander, died a quasi-prisoner atLondonin 1364, and though the
King ofCypruscapturedAlexandria(11 Oct., 1365), he was
unable to hold the city. Thecrusadingspiritwas dead inEurope. In an age of
corruption andsimonyUrbanstood for purity and
disinterestedness inchurchlife: he did much forecclesiastical
disciplineandcausedmanyprovincial councilsto be held; he refused
to bestow place or money on his relatives, and evencausedhis own father to
refund apensionbestowed on him by theFrenchking. His brother, whom
he prompted to thecardinalate, was acknowledged by
all to be a man most worthy of the dignity. Thepope'sprivate life was that
of amonk, and he was always
accessible to those who sought his aid.

Lutheran

Presbyterian

About Me

Retired. Reformed and Presbyterian by background, but dedicated to the Anglican Prayerbook with degrees from Presbyterian and Episcopal seminaries. Informed by both traditions. Not giving up the 1662 BCP for the Presbyterians and not giving up the Westminster Standards for the Anglicans.